Tyrrier Reven Hollow

[Chibi Pika]

"You found the Griseous orb?"

Jade blinked at Koa. "...Is that what it's called?" She hadn't ever considered whether or not it had a name. For the longest time, it had just been 'the orb.' She hadn't even considered the fact that there would've needed to be some way to distinguish it from the other two.

She flinched slightly under Malachai's harsh gaze. "Look, I... for the longest time, I couldn't even remember that I had it. It was like I'd forget that it ever existed the moment I stopped looking at it." She nodded to Leaf. "I think you're right—I think it was making me forget." Her words came more forcefully now, more confident. "And now that I'm here, it can't affect me like that anymore." She knew this probably sounded crazy, but that had to be it.

"You never mentioned having such a curious item in your possession," Virga remarked, gazing at her with some interest.

"That's because I couldn't," Jade replied with some exasperation. "It took everything I had just to show it to my first partner." She was remembering it now, the trick they'd used to talk about it, without forgetting. And also the bone-deep certainty that she could under no circumstances reveal it to Lugia.

So then, what did any of that mean for the orbs that Ralsen had found? She could tell that Koa didn't believe Ralsen's story. Was there any way she could verify what he'd said...?

"You said you found it in a sealed chamber that opened by itself," Jade began slowly, still figuring out where she was going with it.

Ralsen nodded. "That's right."

Jade found herself standing to her feet, despite the ache in her limbs, her tail swishing as she paced. "So then... what about the writings? There should have been writings."

The edge of Ralsen's mouth curled into a slight smile. "You're relying on my memory?"

Jade's ears swept back. "You just said you got your memories back. So we should be able to confirm if you found them in the same sort of place as I did if the writings were the same."

She was bluffing, mostly. Jade really didn't remember the writings at all—and she was pretty sure that was just due to only having read them once, over a year ago, as opposed to any sort of weird orb-induced amnesia. But maybe if he said it first, it'd jog her memory.

Ralsen fixed her with the same amused expression as before. "Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to record them on my second visit." He closed his eyes and recited: "'Three orbs were forged from the birth of this realm, and each has been sealed away so that the realms might remain separate forever.'"

Oh, crap. That was the same, yeah. And she was pretty sure the look on her face had just told him as much.

Virga took a step forward, her metallic claws sinking into the damp grass. "Why does it matter where he found them? I'm to understand that this is not the same human Sebastian you knew from our world. How exactly these 'orbs' came into his possession seems meaningless to us now."

Right. It probably didn't matter. Except that finding them in the same chambers she had meant that he hadn't stolen them from any Legendary Pokemon. And that was... important for some reason? (She wasn't sure.)

The fluttering of small wings in the trees behind her caught her off guard for a moment. Her tail lashed a bit with agitation as she debated what to say next. Part of her almost wished there was a way he could have just left Forlas, because then he wouldn't have been her problem anymore.

So then, what was the next move?

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura pawed at her cheek, and groaned inwardly.

"Either way, he— I mean, Ralsen, you have these orbs. These powers. So you're gonna leave the relic alone, at least? I mean it'd be great if you could avoid tunnelling home until we've dealt with the whole 'Forlas is breaking apart' thing, but we at least don't have that to worry about now?"

 

[Tetra]

Ralsen's words sounded similar more than familiar. Maybe it was some myth from only their world? It reminded him of some of the ancient myths about Sinnoh, but he'd never known of the orbs to be mentioned. Something to ask Jade more about, especially everything about the Griseous orb....

He eyed Laura. The solution seemed plainly obvious. 'If we lock him in jail then we won't have to worry about what he does next.'

Maybe he was telling the truth about finding those orbs, maybe he wasn't. At this point he didn't know what to make of it. His glare toward Ralsen remained unwavering. "What he did and how he got power matters, because we can't trust him." He directed his words more to the others than Ralsen. Ralsen had proved over and over he was untrustworthy and underhanded. Even if he was telling the truth about the orbs it didn't change his actions here.

"We can't let him keep trying to steal relics. And we need to make sure the relic he was after is safe."

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Either way, he— I mean, Ralsen, you have these orbs. These powers. So you're gonna leave the relic alone, at least? I mean it'd be great if you could avoid tunnelling home until we've dealt with the whole 'Forlas is breaking apart' thing, but we at least don't have that to worry about now?"

"We can't let him keep trying to steal relics. And we need to make sure the relic he was after is safe."

Ralsen gave Laura a thoughtful look. "It's true, I have no need of that relic now. In a way, it's like I never did, not when the power I used to get here never left." He gazed down at his palm, claws gently flexing around nothing, faint streaks of teal and magenta energy flickering across his wrist blades. "I can't help but wonder..."

Jade folded her arms. "Wonder what?"

He turned to look at her. "If the reason I was so drawn to the Light relic wasn't because I needed to use its power, but because our inevitable clash over it was what I needed to unseal this power."

Jade blinked at him. "What?" She really shouldn't have been surprised. This was normal for him. She could just add it to the list of other bizarre statements alongside 'maybe I made the Rebellion in order to free Mewtwo before I ever learned Mewtwo even existed' and stuff like that.

Well, whatever, she didn't have any reason to care about the orbs he'd found back home, not when he'd found them basically the same way she'd found the platinum (Griseous?) orb. She was maybe a little bit curious about what the heck this meant for her orb (and what it could do?), but she didn't feel like asking him. Maybe Koa would have an idea, he knew a lot about the Sinnoh myths. Anyway, the real thing that mattered was—

"You didn't answer Laura's question," Jade said, a bit colder than she'd meant. "If you've like, merged with the orbs or whatever, then you've got your way home right there, whenever you want. So it shouldn't matter if you wait to go home in like, a week, or a month, or however long it takes us to sort things out here. I mean, it'll basically be like you'd never left, right?" She was already bracing herself for him to inexplicably argue that, no, he had to do it right this second for no reason even though it really shouldn't have made any difference when he got back, but that'd require him to think like a normal person, and—

"That's true," Ralsen said slowly, as if he were surprised by his own words. "I suppose I... have no real rush." There was a look of dawning realization on his face.

Jade blinked at him. She'd been ready for some nonsense reply, not him actually agreeing with her, and it left her not knowing how to respond.

Ralsen wasn't looking at her anymore. His gaze had slid out to the pointed spires of Nona Manor, silhouetted against the moonlight. Jade squinted. Dark, winged shapes, everywhere. Were there that many birds flying around the last time she'd looked? It almost looked like they were crowding around a larger figure, broad-winged with a wide-brimmed hat. Or was that... feathers?